Hometeam Hockey: Shrewsbury Colonials produce with scoring line

Wednesday

Feb 13, 2013 at 6:00 AM

John McGuirk Hockey

They have many high school games ahead of them, but the Shrewsbury High trio of junior center Dave Belbin and sophomore forwards Dan and Jack Quinlivan have come together as one of the best lines in Central Mass.

The three have combined for 98 points and have the Colonials contending with an 11-3-1 mark. That’s not too bad considering Shrewsbury lost a good chunk of players from last year’s 10-10-1 team to graduation or junior programs.

“The work ethic of all three is second to none,” Shrewsbury second-year coach Steve Turnblom said. “The three of them are leaders at practice and every time they take the ice for that matter. They are well respected by this entire team and the coaching staff. They lead by example.”

Turnblom’s coaching style employs speed and crashing the offensive zone — which is the specialty of his top line.

“Jack and I have always played together, and then we started playing with Dave last year,” Dan Quinlivan said. “All of us are good passers, which has made a difference as to us knowing our cycles in the zone. Jack is fast and a good shooter, while Dave is the playmaker. I am the one who goes into the corners to get the puck and then look for people to pass to.”

Belbin said practicing together has made it easier for the three to perform at a high level.

“Things start to become more normal by us always on the ice together during practice,” he said. “We seem to find each other a little easier and know what each other is going to do and where each other is on the ice.”

Jack Quinlivan said while Shrewsbury’s offense is in good shape, he’d like to see the Colonials shore up their defensive positioning before the postseason.

“We know we can score goals, but we need to be better at locking things down on the defensive side and also staying out of the penalty box,” he said.

Belbin, who leads Shrewsbury with 34 points, said his father, former Westboro High coach Ed Belbin, was key in helping him learn the game.

“Growing up, my dad was my coach,” Belbin said. “We’d sit down and watch film, and he would pick certain things out. He’s always coaching me, and it has helped me a great deal.”

Dan Quinlivan said the Colonials will rely on their depth when the playoffs come around.

“The three of us can have an off night,” Dan Quinlivan said. “But we have a ton of kids on this team who have a lot of talent and can step it up at anytime. You need that to be successful.”

Wachusett Regional coach Matt Lane notched his 100th career win last week against Westboro, which prompted Lane, a former Wachusett star, to reflect on how far the Mountaineers have come in his eight years behind the bench.

“I am very fortunate that I played here and now get to coach here,” said Lane, who finished with more than 100 points in the early 1990s. “For me, it’s more about getting Wachusett back to being a respected program, which we have done. That’s what I am most proud of here.”

Since Lane took over as coach in 2005, his teams have made the postseason seven times, including back-to-back trips to the Division 3 Central Mass. final the past two years.

“Matt and I have a great bond,” said assistant coach Matt Wilde, who has been with Lane the past eight seasons. “We complement each other very well. I truly respect him as a person and coach. With him, his players always come first. It is never about him.”

Lane said the feeling toward Wilde — also a former standout Wachusett hockey player — is mutual.

“Matt does a great job here,” he said. “He’s a great motivator and is as dependable as they come. I feel we complement each other very well. To be honest, we wouldn’t nearly be as successful without him here.”

A math teacher at Wachusett, Lane instills the belief that character plays a major role in a team’s makeup. Building and maintaining a strong relationship between coaches and players and seeing the players evolve into solid citizens away from the rink is of the utmost importance.

“Having been a player here himself, coach Lane has a connection with players and knows how all of us are feeling because he went through it himself,” said senior forward Colin Bennie, who surpassed 100 career points earlier this season. “He gets the emotions out of you in order to become a successful hockey program, and he really cares about all of us. I think the entire Wachusett community has benefited by having him as a coach.”

Wachusett athletic director Jennifer Lynch credited Lane’s help with making his players better off the ice as well. Wachusett’s hockey team has received several MIAA Academic Achievement Awards.

“Matt is very organized, is a great teacher of the game and gets the most out of his players,” Lynch said. “He is an educator and understands the integral role athletics plays in our educational process. It’s not just about what happens on the ice. He teaches time management, accountability and emphasizes leadership through teamwork. We are fortunate to have Matt Lane and Matt Wilde working with our kids, and I hope they stick around for another 100 wins.”

Contact John McGuirk at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @tgsports.